CULT: Worms
From: HIPSource@aol.com
In a message dated 1/20/00 7:35:09 AM Eastern Standard Time,
drsnooks@buffnet.net writes:
<< SO, to help your worms out, you might dig in your own garden for some
locally native worms and enclose them in a worm bin with some of their own
environment, plus your supplements to reproduce, and then reintroduce them
into your garden. >>
Yes, they are busy doing that in all the containers on the terrace, or would
be if it was summer at the moment. I dump the wholly organic mix I use in the
containers into the garden at season's end, with the worms included.
<<However, without garden conditions in which they would like to reproduce
and thrive as a species, the numbers would probably restabalize to the
pre-worm conditions.>>
Which is about what I figured. Hence the concern about upping the
worm-density by bringing in a quart of bait. Something would probably have to
give.
<< BUT your own garden provides lots for them to do. AND you couldintroduce
lots of (horrors for iris) organic matter. They "luv" alfalfa! AND more
horrors for iris, cultivate the soil to get some air down there for the
worms. They will survive better where there are (more iris bed horrors) weeds
and, well, decaying leaves and etc.>>
I've pretty much got everything cultivated here that can be cultivated here,
short of ripping up the cement walkway. It is a very small urban yard and I
work around the roots of a fifty foot Magnolia grandiflora. Most of the worms
live in the exceedingly well amended and friable perennial borders or in the
so called lawn, but some few are in the hotter, dryer bearded iris bed, which
is the only area solarizing might be effective on, and I'd hate to loose
those.
<< Since I've been using alfalfa, and interplanting companions, I have more
worms in the iris beds. This is not everyone's way of growing iris.>>
No, but it isn't rare. I was surprised the last time we had discussion about
companion plants to discover that lots of folks had lots of stories about
good stuff to grow with irises, some of it pretty sophisticated. It was nice
to visualize people's gardens. I was heartily impressed.
<< The worms you'd find at a bait shop are likely NOT earthworms. They are
probably "red wrigglers" (note spelling) which will not survive in your
garden soil. There is some possibility that they will survive a short time in
a compost pile, but not for long.>>
I'd have to check on that. I've seen both those and night crawlers advertised
and I had understood the latter are natives.
<< "Red wrigglers" are worth cultivating in their own worm bin to produce
rich worm castings which could be used in the garden or on your
houseplants.... Growing worms, or vermaculture, is certainly a hobby which
takes time and attention, but is GREAT for kids!>>
Honey, it is all I can do to take care of Henry and the catz and try to get
some of my own work done around here. I can't manage any more pets.
So what do those worm egg cases you mentioned look like and where are they
found?
Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com
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